Hey there,
Finally decided to try to max out my RAM on my Aurora R4. I'm going with the Patriot 8GB PV316G160C9K - Viper III DDR3 1600MHz (PC3 12800), and have had a pair running in there for over a year. The other two are the stock Alienware RAM that came with the system, with the configuration of 2x4GB. I can't really find a ton of info on the original RAM, but looking up the part # on the sticker states that it is 1600MHz.
My issue is that I bought a second pair of the Viper to max out the system to 32GB, but when slot 1's ram gets removed and has the Viper in it, it will just hang on a black screen. Vipers going into all the other slots work fine, it's not wanting to boot with Slot 1. If you stick the OEM RAM in, it will boot and show a maximum of 28GB of RAM.
- Swapping multiple Viper sticks does not solve the issue.
- RAM bios settings are default/auto. If I am to change the speed, I get some menu with 6-7-8-9; I do not know how to translate this over to the correct MHz speed, and there is no guide to do so.'
- I've attempted to start the system with only a Viper stick in Slot 1. This does nothing.
- I've also attempted to just start the system with Vipers in Slot 1 & 2. No resolution.
If someone has any input to why this is happening or how to get it to work, I'm open to suggestions. Right now it's on and working, but with the OEM RAM in slot 1.
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EDIT: I've managed to put Vipers in DIMMs 1 & 2, then put the old OEM RAM in 3 & 4. Flashing the CMOS will cause the system to startup with Vipers in those slots.
That said, it will still black-screen if you take out the OEM RAM afterwards then quad-stack it with the new RAM. Slot position appears irrelevant once the system is accustomed to booting up with a Viper in Slot 1.
For whatever reason, the system does not want to start up with a full array of the Patriot RAM.
If it makes any different while I don't suspect it does, I am running a single EVGA RTX 3070 in the case. I don't know if there's an incompatibility between that and a 32GB stack.